Man shouldering wife’s body: Cong holds Melhghar Padyatra

Bhubaneswar: The Congress party organised a padyatra at the non-descript Melhghar village in Kalahandi district on Sunday to protest the ‘injustices’ done to the tribals in the region.

“Through the padyatra we wanted to warn the Centre as well as the State government that no Dana Majhi like incident should recur in future. The people in the backward region here must know their rights and the problems they have been facing. They should raise voice against injustice,” former Union minister Bhakta Charan Das said.

The padyatra, among others was attended by Dana Majhi, who had walked 12 kilometres shouldering his wife’s body from Bhawanipatna district headquarters hospital five days back.

An eight-member fact-finding team of the BJP too met Majhi at his village to know in details about the incident that evoked widespread concern about the plight.

“If this is the situation in district headquarters hospital, then think about the other primary health care centres in remote areas of this district. This has shown how the State government has misutilised the welfare funds,” BJP’s Rabi Nayak said.
Admitting lapses in execution of welfare schemes at some places, the BJD said it will improve the facilities.

“Majhi’s case is the sole incident which took place in the night. When he reached at the forest check gate people saw him and came forward to help the man. We are trying to improve the situation in the region,” BJD spokesperson Dibya Shankar Mishra said.